Currently, my focus is on the story of an emigrant. A person who left Latvia around 1909. Why did people emigrate at that time? And what can I recommend to those researching early 20th-century emigrants?
I must admit, this entry is more dedicated to those Latvian descendants living abroad. They are the ones who reach out to me, trying to find out more about their Latvian ancestor. What has my experience been like trying to solve the riddles presented?
Common Challenges
Inaccurate Birthplaces
Very often, emigrants listed inaccurate birthplaces in both ship documents and later records. Most frequently, they stated they were born in Riga. However, we know that in the 19th century, there were few native Latvians in Riga. Most were born in rural parishes but evidently used Riga, the only internationally recognized Latvian city, in documents.
What to do in such cases? How to find the actual birthplace? Search for clues through other known information – perhaps there are preserved letters from relatives in Latvia that provide some hint? Maybe the surname is characteristic of a particular region. You can check this on the website www.uzvardi.lv.
Changed Names
Emigrants often adapted their first and last names to English. For example, Jānis became John, Fricis became Freddy, and Matīss became Mathew. In some cases, surnames were completely changed. For instance, Jēkabs Vanags became Herman Krieger, and Jānis Lūsis adopted the name John Grundy.
In such cases, a person can only be identified if descendants have some stories or notes about the original Latvian surname or at least the names and surnames of other Latvian relatives.
Research Opportunities
Letters and Photographs
Start with what has been preserved in the family. If there are any letters or photographs with inscriptions, they might contain significant clues. Family stories are also worth checking. Although they contain many myths and errors, there might still be a grain of truth.
Passenger Lists
There are no ship passenger lists in Latvian archives (at least none that I am aware of), so the information must be searched in immigrant lists, such as the Ellis Island passenger database in America or the National Archives of Australia database. Keep in mind that surnames in these lists may have been changed. For those who emigrated before the 1920s, surnames are often still written in the old orthography. For example, the surname Lūsis would be searched as Luhs or Luhsa.
DNA Tests
If it is impossible to identify a person's original name or birthplace, it is possible to search for kinship through DNA tests. The largest Latvian database is on MyHeritage. However, be aware that taking the test itself will not help much – a careful analysis of matches and genealogical research will be needed. It is crucial that those with whom matches are found have researched family trees.
Possible Reasons for Emigration
Personal Reasons
Why did Latvians emigrate? Descendants usually have various family stories about it. Either they fled from repression or did not want to serve in the Tsar's army. Perhaps they sought a better life or fled from a bad situation at home. Unfortunately, these stories cannot be verified in documents. Something can be inferred about the family's situation. For example, in one case, the young man who fled to Australia was an illegitimate child, and it can be assumed that this had some impact on his sense of belonging to both family and homeland.
Opportunities Provided by the Sea
In several of my research cases, I have found that emigrants grew up by the sea. From their teenage years, they worked as ship boys and simply took the opportunity to “jump ship” in some exotic distant land. It can be understood that, compared to Tsarist Russia, of which Latvia was a part at the time, there was a temptation to try their luck elsewhere.
It is also worth mentioning that from 1906 to 1924, there was regular ship traffic from Liepāja to New York and Halifax, making Liepāja something of an emigration capital. Through it, not only Latvians but also neighbors – Lithuanians, Poles, and Jews – emigrated.
Fleeing Repression
In 1905-1906, Latvia experienced a revolution, followed by harsh repressions. Many faced arrest and deportations to Siberia, so many fled abroad. Unfortunately, these were illegal travelers who simply hid on ships with or without the crew's knowledge, and you will not find their names in passenger lists.
The examples I mentioned mainly refer to individual emigrants who usually married non-Latvians. As a result, descendants often lost their connection to Latvia. The stories of colonists in North America and Brazil, where whole families emigrated, are a separate topic. Yet another story is that of Latvian colonies in Russia.
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